Biologia plantarum, 2014 (vol. 58), issue 2
Original Papers
Histological and biochemical parameters of Crocus sativus during in vitro root and shoot organogenesis
E. Vatankhah, V. Niknam, H. Ebrahimzadeh
Biologia plantarum 58:201-208, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-013-0388-z 
Content of malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, phenolics, and saccharides was analyzed during different developmental stages of in vitro root and shoot organogenesis in saffron. The highest content of MDA, proline, and phenolics was detected in nodular calli. Significant changes were also found in the content of polysaccharides, soluble saccharides, oligosaccharides, and reducing saccharides during developmental stages. Histological investigation of nodular calli showed meristematic zones with small and densely stained cells situated at peripheral zones of calli. The meristematic zones surrounded some vascular areas from which de novo organs...
Reduced protein secretion and glycosylation induced by ammonium stress inhibits somatic embryo development in pumpkin
A. Crnkoviæ, R. Gariæ, D. Leljak-Levaniæ, S. Mihaljeviæ
Biologia plantarum 58:209-217, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0400-2
Extracellular proteins and glycoproteins secreted by ammonium- or auxin-induced somatic embryogenic cultures of pumpkin were analyzed. Despite an overall similarity in developmental characteristics between these embryogenic cultures, distinct expression patterns of extracellular proteins and glycoproteins were observed. Ammonium, when supplied as the sole source of nitrogen, caused acidification of the culture medium and significantly reduced protein secretion. Buffering pH in the ammonium-containing medium restored extracellular protein secretion and glycosylation and an enhanced cell aggregation but not the development of later embryo stages. As...
Cullin, a component of the SCF complex, interacts with TaRMD5 during wheat spike development
M. J. Hong, D. Y. Kim, Y. W. Seo
Biologia plantarum 58:218-230, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-013-0383-4
Cullin, a major component of the SKP1-cullin-F box protein (SCF) complex, is a scaffold protein that binds to both SKP1 and RBX1 for selective protein degradation through the ubiquitin proteasome system. In order to study the role of cullin in common wheat, we isolated TaCullin (Cullin gene from Triticum aestivum) from wheat spike cDNA. TaCullin was expressed during all spike/grain developmental stages and in high amounts during early spike/grain development. The TaCullin gene is located on the chromosome arm 2DL. Our results suggest that unneddylated TaCullin is located in the nucleus. Based on previous proposals...
Expression pattern of AtABCC13/MRP11 reveals developmental, hormonal, and nutritional regulations
T. El Guizani, N. Blanc, S. Triki, B. St-Pierre, E. Ducos
Biologia plantarum 58:231-240, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-013-0387-0
ATP binding cassette (ABC) proteins constitute one of the largest families of transporters. In Arabidopsis thaliana, over 100 genes encoding ABC transporters have been identified. Here, we described the expression pattern of AtABCC13/MRP11, a member of the multidrug resistance associated protein MRP/ABCC subfamily, previously uncharacterized. The histochemical analysis of transgenic Arabidopsis harboring AtABCC13 promoter-β-glucuronidase gene fusion shows that the AtABCC13 expression was specifically associated with vascular bundles. Moreover, AtABCC13 displayed a complex hormonal regulation. β-glucuronidase...
Comparative analysis of fertility restoration genes for WA, Y, and DA cytoplasmic male sterility in rice
J. Cai, Z. J. Dai, H. T. Zhu, R. Z. Zeng, Z. M. Zhang, T. -F. Ma, G. -Q. Zhang
Biologia plantarum 58:241-246, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-013-0385-2
Rice chromosome single segment substitution line (SSSL) W23-19-06-06-11 with the genotype Rf3Rf3/Rf4Rf4, a strong restorer line for wild-abortive (WA) cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), was recently identified from the SSSL library. To investigate the genetic mode of Rf genes and the genetic relationship among WA, yegong (Y), and dwarf-wildabortive (DA) CMS systems, the plants derived from three BC3F2 populations involving W23-19-06-06-11 and the three CMS lines, that carried the Rf3Rf3/Rf4Rf4, Rf3Rf3/rf4rf4, and rf3rf3/Rf4Rf4 genotypes and WA-, Y-, and DA-CMS cytoplasm, were selected and...
Structural and expression analyses of three PmCBFs from Prunus mume
C. Guo, J. Q. Zhang, T. Peng, M. Z. Bao, J. W. Zhang
Biologia plantarum 58:247-255, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0393-x
C-repeat binding factor (CBF), also called the dehydration-responsive element binding factor 1 (DREB1), can be induced by low-temperature (LT), and plays an important role in abiotic stress tolerance in higher plants. In present study, two new homologous genes of CBF from Prunus mume (PmCBFb and PmCBFc) have been identified and characterized. The complete coding sequences of PmCBFb and PmCBFc were 714 and 723 bp, respectively. They encoded putative proteins of 237 and 240 amino acids. Neither of them had introns. Genome PCR sequencing showed that PmCBFb was arranged in tandem with PmCBFa (another...
Effects of abiotic stresses on the expression of Lhcb1 gene and photosynthesis of Oenanthe javanica and Apium graveolens
Q. Jiang, Z. -S. Xu, F. Wang, M. -Y. Li, J. Ma, A. -S. Xiong
Biologia plantarum 58:256-264, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0396-7
The effects of abiotic stresses on the expression of Lhcb1 gene (coding light-harvesting chlorophyll-protein complex II), and on photosynthetic rate were studied in one Oenanthe javanica (cv. Baguazhou Shuiqin) and three Apium graveolens cultivars (Liuhe Huangxinqin, Jinnan Shiqin, and Ventura). The Lhcb1 genes were cloned and we predicted that Lhcb1 proteins were most probably able to form homo-trimers. Each monomer contained five helical segments, of which three were likely transmembrane helices, and 15 putative chlorophyll-binding sites. The abiotic stresses affected the A. graveolens similarly in all the cultivars,...
Effect of selenium and silicon on transcription factors NAC5 and DREB2A involved in drought-responsive gene expression in rice
H. I. Khattab, M. A. Emam, M. M. Emam, N. M. Helal, M. R. Mohamed
Biologia plantarum 58:265-273, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0391-z
Drought is one of the main environmental stresses and many investigators identified beneficial effects of both silicon and selenium on plant growth and development. To examine the effects of Si and Se on rice (Oryza sativa L.) responses to drought, two cultivars Giza 177 and IET 1444 pretreated with 1.5 mM Si or 0.03 mM Se were then exposed to a water stress until leaf rolling was observed. The enhanced growth of Se or Si pre-treated plants was associated with a significant increase in the content of proline and glycine betaine in both shoots and roots. Furthermore, the transcription factors (TFs), dehydration responsive element-binding protein...
Characterization of AQP gene expressions in Brassica napus during seed germination and in response to abiotic stresses
F. W. Ge, P. Tao, Y. Zhang, J. B. Wang
Biologia plantarum 58:274-282, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-013-0386-1
Water transport across the cell membranes is regulated largely by a family of proteins known as aquaporins (AQPs). Plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) is an important subfamily of plant AQPs localized on the plasma membrane. To investigate the molecular mechanism of water regulation in seed germination, seven genes encoding PIP were initially cloned and sequenced from the germinating seed cDNA pool of Brassica napus. They belong to the PIP1 and PIP2 subfamilies. The transcription of the seven cloned genes plus three previously identified AQP genes from B. napus were analyzed in different organs and different stages of seed...
Candidate gene expression profiling in two contrasting tomato cultivars under chilling stress
A. Caffagni, N. Pecchioni, E. Francia, D. Pagani, J. Milc
Biologia plantarum 58:283-295, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0403-z
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) is sensitive to chilling stress during all stages of plant development. Genetic variation for chilling tolerance exists between cultivated tomato and its related wild species, but intra-specific variation has not been thoroughly investigated so far. Seedlings of 63 tomato accessions were evaluated under low temperature and two contrasting cultivars were identified for the trait: Albenga and San Marzano, the former being more chillingtolerant. To clarify the molecular mechanisms of chilling tolerance in tomato, changes in candidate gene expressions in the two tomato genotypes were analysed, using quantitative...
Long non-coding RNAs in wheat are related to its susceptibility to powdery mildew
S. H. Li, R. Dudler, R. Ji, M. L. Yong, Z. Y. Wang, D. W. Hu
Biologia plantarum 58:296-304, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0404-y
To identify genes involved in the susceptibility to powdery mildew in wheat, genechip hybridization experiments were performed applying interactions between resistant and susceptible wheat cultivars and powdery mildew. Ten genes were found to express exclusively in the susceptible host after inoculation. The single cell transient expression experiments revealed that the RNA interference (RNAi) of two expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences (accession No. BQ168479 and CA648596) could enhance host resistance by 22 and 15 %, respectively. Full-length cDNA cloning revealed that they represented long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and markedly accumulated during...
Ethylene, auxin, and abscisic acid interactions in the control of photoperiodic flower induction in Pharbitis nil
K. Frankowski, E. Wilmowicz, A. Kuæko, J. Kêsy, B. ¦wie¿awska, J. Kopcewicz
Biologia plantarum 58:305-310, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0401-1
Interactions between indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), and ethylene (ET) in the photoperiodic flower induction of a short-day (SD) plant Pharbitis nil were investigated. It was shown that both IAA and ABA applied just before and during the first half of the 16-h-long inductive night inhibited flower induction in P. nil. Ethylene is also thought to be a strong flowering inhibitor of SD plants but only when it is applied in the second half of the inductive night. The application of IAA just before the inductive night decreased the content of endogenous ABA in cotyledons only during the first half of the inductive night. Additionally,...
Exogenous 24-epibrassinolide ameliorates high temperature-induced inhibition of growth and photosynthesis in Cucumis melo
Y. P. Zhang, J. He, S. J. Yang, Y. Y. Chen
Biologia plantarum 58:311-318, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0395-8
This study was carried out to better understand the role of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) in thermotolerance of melon (Cucumis melo L.). The melon seedlings were pretreated with various concentrations of EBR (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg dm-3) as foliar spray and then exposed to a high temperature (HT) stress. Exogenous EBR (0.5-1.5 mg dm-3) alleviated HT-caused growth suppression. In parallel, 1.0 mg dm-3 EBR attenuated the decrease in chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem (PS) II, quantum yield of PS II, and photochemical quenching of...
UV-B induced alteration of oxygen evolving reactions in pea thylakoid membranes as affected by scavengers of reactive oxygen species
D. Lazarova, D. Stanoeva, A. Popova, D. Vasilev, M. Velitchkova
Biologia plantarum 58:319-327, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0402-0
The effect of UV-B irradiation at temperatures of 22 and 4 °C on flash induced oxygen yields, photochemical activity, and energy transfer in pea thylakoid membranes in the absence and presence of scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was studied. Three different scavengers were used: dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), histidine (His), and n-propyl gallate (nPG). As result of the UV-B treatment of isolated membranes, the flash oxygen yields were considerably affected - the amplitudes decreased and the oscillation pattern was lost. The analysis of the flash oxygen yields and initial oxygen burst showed alterations of a number of oxygen evolving...
Effect of ultraviolet-B radiation on biomass production, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species, and antioxidants in Withania somnifera
S. Takshak, S. B. Agrawal
Biologia plantarum 58:328-334, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0390-0
The present study was aimed at understanding the effects of long term supplemental UV-B (3.6 kJ m-2 d-1) on biomass production, accumulation of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and enzymatic antioxidants in leaves and roots of Withania somnifera (an indigenous medicinal plant). Under the UV-B treatment, a reduction in biomass and an increased malondialdehyde content (a characteristic of lipid peroxidation) were observed in both the shoots and roots. Amongst ROS, H2O2 content increased under UV-B in the leaves, whereas it decreased in the roots, and superoxide radical production rate decreased...
Interactions between nitric oxide, gibberellic acid, and phosphorus regulate primary root growth in Arabidopsis
A. P. Wu, L. Gong, X. Chen, J. X. Wang
Biologia plantarum 58:335-340, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0408-7
Nitric oxide (NO), gibberellic acid (GA), and phosphorus (P) have been reported to regulate primary root (PR) growth, but interactions between them in the growth of Arabidopsis PR remain unknown. This work confirmed that low P availability significantly inhibited PR growth and that NO arrested PR growth in either high P or low P conditions. Moreover, NO counteracted the stimulatory effects of GA on PR growth under low P conditions. Finally, the dependence of low P and NO inhibition of PR growth on the DELLA-SLY pathway revealed that NO stabilized a major DELLA protein. We therefore conclude that antagonistic interactions between NO and GA regulate...
Applications of ascorbic acid or proline increase resistance to salt stress in barley seedlings
R. A. Agami
Biologia plantarum 58:341-347, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0392-y
The present study was carried out to examine the effects of seed soaking in 1 mM ascorbic acid (AA) or 1 mM proline on the growth, content of photosynthetic pigments and proline, relative water content, electrolyte leakage, antioxidant enzymes and leaf anatomy of Hordeum vulgare L. Giza 124 seedlings grown in greenhouse under 100 or 200 mM NaCl. The plants exposed to the NaCl stress exhibited a significant reduction in growth, relative water content, leaf photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, as well as alterations in leaf anatomy. However, the treatment with AA or proline ameliorated the stress generated by NaCl and improved the above mentioned...
Transgenic barley producing essential polyunsaturated fatty acids
D. Mihálik, M. Gubi¹ová, T. Klempová, M. Èertík, K. Ondreièková, M. Hudcovicová, L. Klèová, J. Gubi¹, I. Dokupilová, L. Ohnoutková, J. Kraic
Biologia plantarum 58:348-354, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0406-9
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) affect diverse physiological processes and human health. Most cereals are poor in n-3 and n-6 PUFAs. Using biolistics, barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Golden Promise) was transformed with an artificial gene encoding Δ6-desaturase (D6D) under an endosperm-specific promoter. This artificial gene was designed from the sequence of D6D of the filamentous fungus Thamnidium elegans, but codon usage was optimised for cereals. A signal sequence from the gene encoding for high molecular mass glutenin Dx5 was added to a destinate mature protein. Successful transformation was confirmed in...
Radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation alters the electric potential of Myriophyllum aquaticum
M. D. H. J. Senavirathna, T. Asaeda
Biologia plantarum 58:355-362, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-013-0384-3
Electric signaling pathways are important for rapid and long-distance communication within a plant. Changes in the electric potential (EP) inside plants have been observed during the propagation of electric signals. Increasing radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in the environment raise the question about possible effects of EMR on the EP of plants. In the present experiment, we investigated the effect of 2, 2.5, 3.5, and 5.5 GHz EMR with a maximum field intensity of 23-25 V m-1 on the EP in emergent Myriophyllum aquaticum plants. The 2 and 5.5 GHz exposures caused significant (16 and 13 %) decreases in the standard deviation...
Interactions between embryogenic callus of Abies alba and Heterobasidion spp. in dual cultures
K. Nawrot-Chorabik
Biologia plantarum 58:363-369, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0405-x
Interactions between three genotypes of a silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) embryogenic callus and Heterobasidion abietinum, H. parviporum, and H. annosum were examined in dual cultures. The aim of this study was to determine whether dual cultures can be used to evaluate the degree of fungal virulence at an embryogenic level, and whether different genotypes of a callus show different susceptibility. The dual cultures were performed on Schenk and Hildebrandt medium. Mycelial growth of H. parviporum and H. annosum was significantly stimulated in the presence of the callus but was not directional in nature. The embryogenic...
Brief Communications
Effect of selenium on distribution of macro- and micro-elements to different tissues during wheat ontogeny
A. Tobiasz, S. Walas, M. Filek, H. Mrowiec, K. Samsel, A. Sieprawska, H. Hartikainen
Biologia plantarum 58:370-374, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0407-8
Selenium (Se) is essential for health of humans, animals, and plants. Especially wheat is a major source of Se in the terrestrial food chain. In this study, an element analysis was optimized and the content of Ca, Mg, K, S, P, Fe, Se, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Mo in leaves, roots, and seeds were measured during growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Manu) in Hoagland nutrient solution with 5 and 15 μM Na2SeO4. Se was transported to all investigated tissues and accumulated in the seeds in proportion to used amounts. The supplementation of Se, independently of concentration, weakly modified the micro- and macro-elements content...
Chloroplastic and mitochondrial GPX genes play a critical role in rice development
G. Passaia, A. Caverzan, L. S. Fonini, F. E. L. Carvalho, J. A. G. Silveira, M. Margis-Pinheiro
Biologia plantarum 58:375-378, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0394-9
Plant glutathione peroxidases (GPX) catalyze the reduction of H2O2 or organic hydroperoxides to water, mitigating the toxicity of these compounds to cells. In rice plants, the GPX gene family is composed of five members that are distributed in a range of sub-cellular compartments including cytosol, mitochondria, chloroplasts, or endoplasmic reticulum. Of these, OsGPX1 and OsGPX4 are located in mitochondria and chloroplasts, respectively. To understand the role of these GPX in rice, the effect of knockdown of OsGPX1 and OsGPX4 in rice plants was evaluated. Our data show that OsGPX4...
Spatial and developmental expression of key genes of terpene biosynthesis in Tanacetum parthenium
M. Majdi, G. Karimzadeh, M. A. Malboobi
Biologia plantarum 58:379-384, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0398-5
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. To improve understanding terpene metabolism in feverfew, the relative gene expression of four key genes coding 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase (HMGR) and germacrene A synthase (GAS) from the mevalonic acid pathway (MVA), as well as 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) and hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl-4-diphosphate reductase (HDR) from the methyl erythritol phosphate pathway (MEP), were examined. Target organs and tissues included young leaves (not fully expanded), mature leaves (fully expanded),...
Identification of a C2H2-type zinc finger gene family from Eucalyptus grandis and its response to various abiotic stresses
S. Wang, X. L. Wei, L. J. Cheng, Z. K. Tong
Biologia plantarum 58:385-390, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0399-4
C2H2-type zinc finger proteins belong to a major family of transcription factors that play a crucial role in plant stress responses. In this study, seven C2H2-type zinc finger genes (EgrZFP1-7) in Eucalyptus grandis were cloned using the RACE PCR method. EgrZFP1-7 proteins included a QALGGH motif, two zinc finger domains, and an EAR motif. They belong to a Q-type C2H2 zinc finger protein family and are classified into the subset C1. EgrZFP4 and EgrZFP6 had a higher transcription in roots than in leaves and stems, whereas the expression of the other genes did not differ in various plant tissues. The expression of EgrZFP...
Antioxidative enzymes in two in vitro cultured Salicornia species in response to increasing salinity
M. Aghaleh, V. Niknam, H. Ebrahimzadeh, K. Razavi
Biologia plantarum 58:391-394, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0389-6
The effects of salt stress on dry mass, lipid peroxidation, polyphenol and hydrogen peroxide content and activities of antioxidative enzymes were investigated in seedlings of Salicornia persica and S. europaea grown in vitro. Seeds were germinated under a broad range of NaCl concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 300 mM) on Murashige and Skoog medium for 45 d. Dry mass of both species increased at low (100 mM) salinity but decreased at higher NaCl concentrations. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased at low salinity, whereas increased at 200 and 300 mM NaCl. H2O2 content in S. europaea was considerably...
Application of trehalose ameliorates heat stress and promotes recovery of winter wheat seedlings
Y. Luo, Y. M. Gao, W. Wang, C. J. Zou
Biologia plantarum 58:395-398, 2014 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0397-6
Trehalose was supplied to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings just before a high temperature (40 °C) treatment and some physiological parameters were measured during the heat stress and recovery. The application of trehalose decreased the net photosynthetic rate (PN) of wheat seedlings under the heat stress, but to a small extent increased the dry mass (DM) and leaf water content (LWC) after recovery from the heat stress. The trehalose-induced decrease in PN under the heat stress was not associated with a stomatal response. The heat stress slightly decreased the maximal efficiency of photosystem II (PS II) photochemistry (the variable...